Mounting assembly for warning lights on a vehicle blade

ABSTRACT

An assembly for providing the secure mount of warning lights on the top and/or back side of the blade of a snow plow or road grader. The assembly is designed to protect the assembly from a harsh environment and help a mounted light withstand the shocks and impacts regularly experienced by a plow when in use.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/727,589, filed Oct. 17, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Background of the Invention

This invention relates generally to an apparatus for mounting electrical features on a plow assembly, and more particularly to a structure for effectively mounting electrical warning lights on a plow blade such that the lights and components are adequately protected.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

Snow removal is an important task in colder climates where it is necessary to ensure that the public has safe access to roads and areas affected by storms and inclement weather. Also important is the ability to safely conduct road work, landscaping, and related jobs in warmer areas. A variety of work vehicles mounted with snow plows or road graders are typically used to accomplish these tasks. However, when road graders and snow plows are used to clear snow and other material or to groom gravel roads, their presence can potentially pose a safety risk to others on the road.

One common safety problem is that when these vehicles are operated to plow snow or the like, the left end of the plow blade often will extend laterally beyond the vehicle's body. This configuration, combined with conditions often providing limited visibility, poses a risk that other on-coming vehicles or those passing on the left of the road grader/plow may hit the blade.

One way in which to address this problem, that has been suggested in the past, is by mounting lights on or around the plow to help improve visibility during night operation as well as to provide additional warning illumination. Examples of these configurations include light bar arrangements on the upper edges and ends of the plow and configurations which fix a plurality of lamps to the top portion of a snow plow. While these devices might provide some enhanced visibility of plows, they are not well designed to provide adequate warning lights while protecting and securing the lighting assembly in an effective manner.

The harsh conditions and frequent and sustained impacts on a plow blade require that a much more sturdy and reinforced design be made than the previously contemplated devices. A plow having mounted lights must overcome the problem of relatively fragile lights and electrical connections being subjected to undesirable weather conditions and destructive shaking and jolting of a plow blade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The light mounting assembly for plow blades and grader blades in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an elongated housing member extending parallel with and fixed to the top of the plow or grader blade, a pair of mounting brackets joined to the ends of the plow blade, electrical light members attached to the mounting brackets at the ends of the plow blade, and steel pipe connecting the housing member to the electrical light members.

Alternatively, the assembly may include outer frames joined to the sides of the back of a plow, a strobe light surrounded by each frame, and a plurality of flexible dampening members supporting the strobe light within the outer frames.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, especially when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals in the several views refer to corresponding parts.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the mounting assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a left side perspective view of a portion of the mounting assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a left side perspective view of the mounting assembly of the present invention showing the light assembly and protective shield for associated electrical wiring;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the lamp assembly mounted in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mounting assembly of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, the light mounting assembly 10 of the present invention is seen in schematic form. It is generally made up of a central housing tube 12, conduit tubes 14, mounting brackets 16, and light boxes 18.

These components generally make up an assembly where flashing lights are mounted on the upper corners of a plow/ road grader blade 20 (FIG. 2). Light boxes 18, comprising forward and rearward directed LED strobe lights, are bolted to a mounting bracket 16 which bolts to the plow blade 20 proximate its opposed ends, preferably using the same bolt holes that are normally used for attaching the blade's wear plates 22. See FIG. 3. The wiring 24 for the lights comes from the road grader's lighting system. To protect this insulated wire 24 leading to the lamp assembly 18, it is encased in steel conduit or pipe 14 and a larger diameter steel tubular housing member 12. The insulated wire 24 then proceeds into the light boxes 18 welded to brackets 16. These brackets 16 are then bolted to the upper edge of the plow or road grader's blade 20. The invention is well-suited for use on straight plow blades as well as on wing blades.

The schematic drawing of FIG. 1 demonstrates how wiring 24 from the plow/grader's lighting system is supplied to the center of the central housing tube 12 through a grommet located in a drilled opening 26 and eventually leads to light boxes 18, via conduit pipes 14. Once inside the housing tube 12 the wiring 24 extends in opposite axial directions away from central housing tube 12 by passing from both ends of the housing 12 into steel pipes 14. Theses pipes 14 are adapted to be attached to an upper edge of the plow blade and extend toward each respective side of the plow blade 20. They eventually join to junction boxes on which lamp assembles 18 are mounted by means of brackets 16 that are affixed to the opposed ends of the plow blade 20. In this way, the electrical power supply is effectively protected from damage and moisture as its path spans the distance between the plow/road grader's lighting system and light assemblies 18.

Without limitation, housing member 12 may comprise a four inch diameter steel pipe having end caps 30. The end caps 30 are provided with bores and extending a predetermined distance through the bores are one-half inch diameter steel pipes 14. The assembly of FIG. 1 is adaptable for attachment to truck mounted plows, tractor mounted plows and road graders.

FIG. 2 discloses a partial side view of the assembly in place on a plow blade. Central housing tube 12 can be seen located just above the plow blade 20. This housing tube 12 generally runs axially parallel to the length dimension of the plow blade 20. A flat bar mounting bracket 28 joins the housing tube 12 to the top edge portion of the back face of the plow blade 20. The flat bar mounting bracket 28 is preferably welded to the outer surface of housing tube 12 on one end and is bolted to the plow blade 20 on the opposite end. Housing tube 12 is shown to have a tubular, cylindrical shape with end caps 30 and a drilled opening 26 in the side of the cylinder through which wiring 24 passes. The end caps 30 of the housing tube 12 each have a small circular opening 32 through which conduit 14 exits on either side of the housing 12 These circular openings 32 may include a double lipped grommet seal 34 to ensure that the wiring 24 within the housing tube 12 is not subjected to dirt and moisture.

FIG. 3 shows another perspective side view of the assembly 10. From this view the light assemblies 18 and a side of the plow blade is more fully illustrated. The pipe or conduit 14 extends generally parallel to the top of the plow blade 20 as it leaves the housing tube 12 and is secured by a bracket 36 for support. Shortly beyond the bracket 36, the pipe 14 makes, roughly, a 90° bend such that it extends upward to the light assembly 18. Light assembly 18 in one embodiment is made up of two box shaped housings comprising forward and rearward LED strobe lights. These commercially-available components allow for light to be directed to both the front and the rear of the plow blade 20. Such LED strobe lights come in various colors including amber as authorized by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and are commercially available from NOVA Electronics, Inc. of Colchester, Conn.

Supporting these light assemblies 18 are mounting brackets 16. The mounting brackets 16 have a curved lower portion 38 which conforms to the shape of the back of the plow blade 20 and a flat upper portion 40 which projects vertically upward from the top edge of the plow blade 20 when it is attached. The lower portion 38 of the bracket 16 additionally contains holes 42 which match the same bolt holes in the blade that are normally used for bolting on the blade's replaceable wear plates 22. The mounting bracket 16 is accordingly fixed in place by bolts 44 extending through the existing holes in the plow's face.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front, partial perspective view of the plow assembly 10. Blade wear plates 22 cover the top front comers of the front face of the plow. These plates 22 typically are used to direct snow away from the plow and are replaceable as wear makes it necessary. As previously mentioned, these plates 22 also provide the holes through which bolts 42 extend within the plow face 20 to hold mounting brackets 16 and the strobe lights 18 to the plow assembly. The tubular housing 12 and the conduit 14 afford a solid, dry, protective shield for the electrical wiring preventing breakage and/or wearing thereof, even in the most severe working environments.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which a unique light assembly is attached to the rear face of the plow blade 20. The assembly generally comprises a commercially available central strobe light 46 contained within a moisture-proof strobe light housing 48. The assembly is shown centrally located near the end edge of the back of the plow blade 20.

A rectangular frame 50 of the assembly is clamped, bolted, welded or otherwise attached to either the side lip or back of the plow 20. The frame 50 comprises four metal side members, as at 56, which are welded or otherwise fastened together in a generally square shape.

Referring still to FIG. 5, centrally located within frame 50 is the strobe light 46 and strobe light housing 48. Strobe light housing 48 is generally a hollow cylindrically shaped cam member which terminates in a flat flange 62 around the round opening 64. This flat flange 62 contains four equally spaced attachment hole locations 66 around the strobe housing 48 perimeter. The attachment hole locations 66 provide a structure which allows resilient straps as at 52 to stretch between the attachment locations 60 of the frame 50 and the attachment locations 66 around the flange 62 of the strobe housing 48. In this way, eight resilient straps 52 can be placed in tension to provide vibration isolated support for the strobe housing 48 and are configured such that the strobe housing 48 will experience a dampening of vibrations when the plow blade 20 is jolted and impacted during use.

Located within the strobe housing 48 is an array of LED strobe lights 46. These strobe lights in array 46 are protected around the perimeter by a seal member (not shown) placed in between the strobe light array 46 and strobe housing 48. When in use, the light array 46 will face outward from the rear face of the plow 20. Placing a flashing strobe light array in this location enables drivers approaching from the rear to better see the location of the plow blade, and will reduce the danger to other motorists. Also within the strobe housing 48 is wiring which will exit the strobe housing 48 via an electrical cord 54 either through an opening 74 in the side of the strobe housing 46 (see FIG. 5) or from the rear opening (not shown) in the back side of the strobe housing 46. The wiring 54 can be shrouded by conduit 14 as it exits the strobe housing

While this embodiment of the present invention has been primarily described as having a configuration utilizing a frame equipped with eight resilient straps, a more simplified version utilizing less than eight straps and corresponding components is also well within the scope of this invention. Also, the light assembly can be affixed to a top edge of a plow blade so as to e viewable to on-coming motorists.

This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices, and that various modifications, both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself. 

1. Apparatus for securing warning lights to at least one end of a plow blade of a work vehicle comprising: (a) a rigid metal pipe of a predetermined length and diameter adapted to be affixed to an upper edge portion of a plow blade of said work vehicle, the rigid metal pipe having end caps affixed at opposed ends thereof, the end caps including a bore formed therethrough; (b) a length of conduit partially contained within said metal pipe and extending out through the bores in the end caps so as to run along said upper edge portion of the plow blade; and (c) a light box secured to said plow blade by a mounting bracket by a mounting bracket, the light box containing a first light source and having an opening therein for receiving one end of the length of conduit therethrough.
 2. The apparatus as in claim 1 and further including: (a) a further light box secured to said plow blade by a further mounting bracket at an end opposite the one end, the further light box containing a second light source and having an opening therein for receiving a second end of the length of conduit therethrough.
 3. The apparatus as in claim 1 and further including electrical wires extending into the rigid metal pipe through a bore formed in a peripheral surface of the pipe, the electrical wires running through the length of conduit into said light box for connection to said light source.
 4. The apparatus as in claim 2 and further including electrical wires extending into the rigid metal pipe through a bore formed in a peripheral surface of the pipe, the electrical wires running the length of conduit into both the light box and said further light box for connection to the first and second light sources, respectively.
 5. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the light box comprises a generally rectangular frame with an open center and said light source is suspended in the open center by resilient shock mounting straps.
 6. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket locates the light box proximate an upper edge of the plow blade.
 7. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the mounting bracket locates the light box on a rear surface of the plow blade.
 8. The apparatus as in any one of claims 1-7 wherein the light source in one or the other of the light box and further light box is a strobe light. 